Better Late Than Never
by Dark-Majesty1310
Summary: Henry is about to go to his first school dance, and who better to give him dating advice than his moms, right? While they may be able to help Henry, they have issues of their own to fix as well. SwanQueen one-shot.


**A/N: Hiiiiii! We're Rachel and Katherine, otherwise known as Dark-Majesty1310. Yes, you read that correctly, there are two of us. We're bffs who write fanfiction together. Aren't we just the cutest? (;**

 **Anyway, we also have another account called RachelKatherine, where we currently have four Rizzoli and Isles fanfics posted! If you ship Rizzles, head on over there too and let us know what you think of our stories! As any writers do, we LOVE new followers, favorites, and reviews, so whether or not you read these stories, the stories on our other account, or both, please let us know what you think!**

 **This story was posted on our other account, but since we had mostly Rizzoli and Isles followers on that account, this story didn't get as much of a following as we had hoped. So, we're hoping that with this new account, we can make that happen!**

 **So, this is a one-shot and the first OUAT fanfic we've written. Feedback is much appreciated, please don't be shy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: These characters are so much fun to write, but unfortunately we don't own them. If we did, well... we'd be living the life right now.**

* * *

Regina hurried down the stairs and threw the door open, hissing at the blonde. "You're late as usual!" Emma shuffled inside, looking frazzled and not at all like herself. Her blonde hair was hanging over a portion of her face and her right hand was visibly bloody.

"Leroy got drunk again, and this time he wanted to fucking fight. So we fought, _obviously_. I had to lock him up, but getting him into a cell after he'd had whiskey was quite the battle." Regina reached up and pushed aside a strand of long blonde hair. She gasped at the sight.

"Emma! Your eye, it looks _terrible_ ," She cupped the blonde's cheek, her fingertips dancing over the newly formed knot which was quickly turning a deep shade of purple on Emma's cheekbone. There was a pronounced cut and Emma winced as Regina's fingertips ghosted along it. Emma shrugged back out of the gesture, not to be separated from Regina, but because of the sharp pain it inflicted, and just like that, Regina withdrew. She bristled and went to smooth her hair when Emma caught her by her wrist.

"Don't. Not now. Once the kid is gone… we'll talk. This is _his_ day." Emma held loosely onto Regina's wrist, and Regina made no attempt to pull away. Brown eyes met green and Emma could see the depth of concern and hurt etched all over Regina's face. Emma pulled Regina in closer, so close they were just inches apart, when a loud groan came from the top of the stairs. "Hey, I'm ok."

Emma could swear she saw the brunette's eyes brimming with tears. Regina opened her mouth to say something, but instead she threaded her fingers through Emma's and they stood there, just staring at one another, completely oblivious to Henry's pleas for help. _How easy it was to fall back into old habits,_ both women reasoned silently.

"Gross," Henry yelled, his dress shirt still unbuttoned and a tie dangling from just beneath his collar. "Can't you just act like normal moms for a change?" Regina hated to admit that he had a point.

"Hey, kid!" Emma released Regina at the same time Regina pulled away, mumbling something under her breath that sounded incoherent to Emma and an awful lot like Spanish. Emma bounded up the stairs like she hadn't just gotten into a fist fight with a grown man and left Regina standing awestruck in the foyer of the mayor's mansion.

Regina busied herself in the kitchen, gathering up an ice pack, a glass of water, and some ibuprofen for Emma before making her way up the stairs. She paused right outside Henry's door, listening to the excited chatter of their son, getting ready for his first dance, his first date.

"Henry, don't forget to dance with her. Don't be one of those lame boys who stands over in the corner with his buddies. She doesn't care if you're a good dancer, but she _will_ care if you put some effort into it." Regina smiled at Emma's words.

"Ma?" Regina heard Henry counter. "Did you ever feel like you were the only one putting effort into you and Mom?" Regina's eyes widened and for a split second, she was terrified at what was going to come out of Emma's mouth. She was torn between the desire to intervene in their conversation and fascinated to hear what may slip past Emma's lips. She held her breath and steadied herself against the wall.

"No, I never felt that way. If you look deeper, Henry, you would really be fascinated at the person she truly is. But tonight isn't about your Mom and I, it's about you. Your first solo date. Your first real dance." Regina swiped a lonesome tear that had escaped its sanctuary and found refuge on her cheek. She took a deep measured breath and strode into the room.

"Emma," Regina motioned for Emma to hold out her hand to take the pills and the water. Emma smiled a grateful smile and accepted the ice pack, flopping down on Henry's bed and stretching out.

Regina turned to Henry, who stood inches taller than her now and she shook her head, taking in his disheveled hair. She tucked an unruly lock back behind his ear and couldn't help but smile. "Henry… Growing up so fast," she tsked, and went about tying and straightening out his tie..

"Mom," Henry said seriously, shuffling his feet and looking at the floor. "I'm really nervous."

Regina smiled and put her hands on his shoulders. "Completely natural. Try not to be too hard on yourself, sweetheart. Audrey is crazy about you and it's just the two of you hanging out. Just… formally dressed with friends. And dancing, and pictures…" Regina trailed off as Emma sighed deeply from her resting spot on Henry's bed. Regina and Emma exchanged a glare and Regina realized her little speech probably hadn't calmed Henry's fears in the least.

"Kid, you're going to have a blast. Live it up while you can. What are the rules of dating?" Emma prompted.

"Ma," he whined. "Do we have to keep going over this?"

"Henry… don't take that tone with your Mother." Regina countered in a surprisingly firm tone, one that Henry knew better to ignore. Both women had taken their role very seriously in trying to shape Henry as a man, both unconsciously trying to make up for the fact that he had lost Neal.

"Open doors and help her on and off with her coat. Think of her safety before you think of yourself. No drinking and driving. No means _no_ , and have her home by her curfew, no excuses." Emma smirked as he rattled them off, feeling a sense of pride in Henry and his heart.

Regina smiled at him and as he looked down at her, he could see a hint of something he hadn't noticed in a very long time. Her smile actually reached her eyes, and he felt a pang of guilt for what he had asked Emma earlier. He leaned down and kissed Regina on the cheek, and the surprise on her face twisted in his gut. _She loves me so much, yet I continue to doubt her,_ Henry berated himself.

Emma and Regina were now standing side by side next to him, all three of them facing the mirror. He dwarfed them both in height, and both women marveled at how quickly time had passed since Henry brought their family together. Emma and Regina made eye contact with one another and as their eyes locked, each woman knew exactly what the other was thinking. Henry cleared his throat, obviously aware that they were only focused on one another.

"Well, I do have to pick her up, so… I love you both." Henry wrapped both arms around his Mothers, pulling them together and squeezing just a little too tight.

"Keys to the Mercedes are on the counter in the kitchen, gas tank is full and… the extra cash is for dinner." Regina kissed his cheek, imprinting her signature red lipstick on his cheek.

"I may love you a little more," Henry threw at Regina as he tried to pull away from their embrace.

Emma tried unsuccessfully to rub the lipstick away, only smearing it in the process. "Text us as soon as you get to the dance and right before you leave. Curfew is midnight. And not a minute after, Henry!" Emma called after him.

Both women stood silent in Henry's room long after he had bounded down the stairs and out of the house, the jingle of keys and the slamming door mocking proof that he was almost grown, that he almost didn't need them anymore. Regina finally began walking around his room and tidying it up, before she picked up the old fairy tale book that began it all and sat down on his bed. The book covered her lap, and she absentmindedly ran her fingers across the old worn leather.

She let out a laugh, something light and decidedly unlike Regina. "Who would have ever thought… when this all started..." She trailed off.

The sun was setting, and she stared out Henry's childhood bedroom window, the oranges and reds splayed across the horizon as the sun dipped lower and lower behind the clock tower. She felt the dip of the bed next to her, and then felt a hand cover her own.

"You've done a great job with him, Regina. He's growing up to be a good man," Emma praised her, and Regina's heart soared.

Regina shifted her eyes away from the beautiful sunset, only to be met with a pair of equally beautiful emerald eyes. She laid her head on Emma's shoulder and squeezed her hand in response. "We both have, Emma. We both have."

* * *

Some reminiscing, some tears shed, and a few mixed cocktails later, both women made their way into the kitchen for a late dinner. As Regina plated the dinner, she could feel Emma slide up behind her. Emma's arms wrapped around her waist from behind and Emma placed a chaste kiss in her hair. Regina wanted to pull away, she wanted to run or destroy some shit, to keep herself from feeling; anything to distract her from the pain of her emotions. But with Emma pressed into her, one hand working its way up under the hem of her t shirt and the other splayed out possessively across her hip, she just couldn't find it in herself to fight it any longer.

"It doesn't have to be so hard, Regina," Emma's touch ghosted across her neck, and Regina found her knees weakening. "You don't have to keep fighting me."

And just like that, Emma let go and walked around to the other side of the breakfast nook, effectively putting enough space between them to allow coherent thoughts to form. Regina's body instantly mourned the separation from Emma. Regina knew years ago that her body involuntarily responded to Emma's touch. Apparently that doesn't change with heartache. She calmed her breathing and gathered herself. _Now or never,_ she told herself.

"I, I- I don't just fight you. I fight everything you promised me we would be. You left me, Emma… after everything we sacrificed, when it got hard… You broke my fucking heart. And to make matters worse, Henry still thinks it's all my fault. He still thinks that everything is my fault." Regina finally managed, and Emma's eyes widened.

Emma placed her palms down on the counter and looked down at the hardwood floor, gathering her thoughts. She could feel Regina watching her, trying to gauge her reaction, could feel her steeling herself against further rejection. Emma could feel the tears stinging, the dam threatening to burst. "Regina, I... I could never be sorrier for that. It was never my intent to hurt you, to break your heart. But... things got so hard, everything seemed so damned from the get go, and old habits kicked in. I'm not used to staying in one place for so long. My instinct was to run. When I left, it was to clear my head, to get a new perspective."

"Killian Jones was a new perspective? That's odd. I remember a time you told me that was all in the past." Regina mused, that bottom lip trapped beneath her teeth. "Then what will make it any different this time, Emma?" Regina asked dryly, devoid of any emotion.

"Because I still love you." Regina's head snapped up, her eyes widened. "Maybe three years is a long time to hold onto love, Regina, but it's also a long time to hold on to regret, and anger, and hate. Our son is almost an adult, and the thought of not having an excuse much longer to come over for dinner, to attend school functions together, to vacation-" Regina interrupted her, walking around the island and invading Emma's personal space.

"You _never_ had to use Henry as an excuse. Not after Neverland. Not after… everything we've been through together. Not just for Henry. We walked through hell and back- but this," Regina gestured between the two of them, "we destroyed one another in the end. Just like everyone predicted we would." Regina slammed a hand down on the counter and she noticed that Emma visibly flinched. "Was that pain not enough to last you a lifetime? Why are you still here? Where is Killian now, Emma? What is it that you want?" Regina leaned back, crossing her arms across her, an eyebrow quirked, trying to maintain her aloof facade.

"You. I want all of you." Emma surged forward, her lips on Regina's in an instant, and the kiss tasted like everything she had spent the last three years trying to forget. Apple cider and caramel, hope and forgiveness, lust and love, understanding and regret; Emma could taste the salt from the tears streaming down Regina's face. Emma threaded one hand through raven locks and another around the small of Regina's back, holding the woman as she sobbed. Emma whispered, soothed, and rode out the storm, and Regina held onto her like she was drowning. Regina had forgotten what it felt like to have those comforting arms wrapped around her body, cradling her like she was breakable, like she was cherished. And maybe, just for tonight, she could stand to be reminded of what it felt like to be wanted and desired, the faint memory of what it felt like to be loved. Maybe just for tonight, she could let go of all the hurt and the suffering, and allow herself to feel something else.

"I know I made a mistake." Emma cradled the brunette's face with both hands and it crushed her heart to see Regina fall apart, to know that she was the reason Regina was crying. But it also gave her a sense of renewed hope, that if, after all this time, Regina's reaction to her invoked _this_ type of emotion, maybe there was a chance for them after all. "Please let me make this right. I won't ever leave here again. Every road in my life keeps leading me back here, back to you. Back to Henry. Back to _my family_." Regina sagged into Emma, resting her head above Emma's heart, comforted by its strong beat.

And when Henry walked in the door at 11:56, high on life as only a teenager can be, he spotted both of his moms curled into each other on the couch. Emma lying behind Regina, her arm draped over Regina's side and Regina's hand covering hers. Emma's leg had parted Regina's and blonde hair and raven hair were strewn all over the couch cushions. Their faces caused him pause for a moment. There were no frown lines and no cautiousness, just serenity. Maybe even… happiness, he dared to think. Henry loosened his tie and flung his suit coat over the chair. He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the two women splayed across one another. He saved it and texted the image to both his Mom's phones with the caption: _I was home on time and here's my proof._

He smiled at their sleeping forms and covered them both with a blanket. As he made his way throughout the house, checking the locks and turning off lights, he let out a deep breath, one that he had been unaware he was holding. As he climbed the stairs into the loft, he looked down once more upon the two women who were cuddled on the couch, blissfully unaware. These two women had spent so many years fighting their feelings for one another. How ironic once they had decided to give into their feelings it would ultimately destroy both of their hearts, he mused. He hoped this was the beginning of a new chapter; that the days of curses and the ripping out of hearts and the notion of soul mates had long been banished from their psyches. He knew this was a futile thought, but he could still be quite naive at times. As he made his way into his room, he noticed the fairy tale book open to reveal the last few pages of the book.

Pages that he had never seen before. Pages that depicted the very women in that living room, finding redemption in each other, both finding their way home. Henry leaned back against the headboard of his bed and ran a hand through his dark hair. He tentatively flipped the pages of the book as he read, ultimately flipping the last page over, his fingers outlining the scroll THE END. He closed the book and stowed it away on his bookshelf. This was the end of his fairy tale, but tomorrow marked the beginning of theirs. One that didn't already have a fated ending. One they could create themselves instead; their happily ever after. Maybe in the Enchanted Forest, this would have made sense, someone else determining the path of your life, but Henry had long grown tired and weary of everyone's fate seemingly written out for them. As a young adult, Henry wanted a reprieve from the chaos, because raising parents? It's hard.


End file.
